The future stars of Ohio State football officially begin their Buckeye careers today as standouts from all over the country put pens to their National Letters of Intent. Signing Day is here.
Eleven Warriors would like to officially welcome Rashod Berry to the Ohio State football program.
The Berry File
- Class 2015
- Position DE
- Size 6-5/240
- School Lorain (Lorain, OH)
- Composite ★★★
- Rank 36 (WDE)
When we first introduced you to Berry, it was the summer of 2013 and he was quickly turning himself into a player to watch. The Buckeyes had caught wind of the considerably athletic Berry after then defensive line coach Mike Vrabel had seen him playing basketball. The frame, size and speed Berry had was potentially special, and the Buckeyes let Mark Solis, then the coach of the Lorain Titans and Berry, know they'd be watching him.
That summer, Berry arrived at Ohio State's positional camps at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, appearing raw but undeniably talented. As long as the Titans' star took care of his business, it appeared he had a clear-cut path to becoming a Buckeye; he already has offers from a number of MAC schools.
"I talked to the head coach [Meyer] and Mike Vrabel," he said. "I like it here and I think it went pretty well."
Then, as suddenly as he blew up, Berry and the Buckeyes fizzled out. Although he added offers from Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa, things appeared to have completely died out between Ohio State and the now 6-foot-5, 245 pounder. Eleven Warriors was still watching, though.
Fast-forward to this past October and, in what appeared to be the blink of an eye, Berry was back on the Buckeyes' radar. I spotted him and Solis on the sideline of Ohio State's October 18th home game against Rutgers and was informed that an offer was likely coming.
"It was a fun game to watch," Berry shared. "They didn't offer me, but I think it's coming soon."
There's was never any doubt about Berry's talent, he's an athletic (yes, I hate the hyperbole) freak who told 11W he was recently timed running a sub 4.40-40 yard dash. The issue with Berry throughout the spring and summer was more about his commitment to academics, and he attacked that weakness.
"He's fully qualified," one source told Eleven Warriors. "He's a great kid and really has worked hard to improve himself physically and in the classroom."
The Buckeyes offered Berry on October 21st and on October 22nd, he was the 19th commitment in the 2015 class.
“A few weeks ago Ohio State had a bye and all of a sudden we had coaches at our practices," Lorain head coach Dave McFarland shared with the Lorain Chronicle." Rashod met with (Buckeyes coach) Urban Meyer, shook his hand, looked him in the eye and smiled. He impressed Ohio State.”
What impressed the Buckeyes was the personal development of Berry, who they'd once worried would not mature enough emotionally to put his athletic talents to use in Columbus.
"I was just lazy," Berry said of the issues that kept him from being a bigger name in recruiting. "I realized I just had to do my work, it wasn't that I couldn't do it before, I just didn't. I started studying more, and I got more help where I needed it. My coach (Mark Solis, now at Olentangy) told me I had to man up, and that's what I did. I grew up."
Berry acknowledged that at one point in his recruitment, he considered no longer chasing the Scarlet and Gray rainbow, but realized doing so would be selling himself short.
"I was really thinking about Michigan State, I liked it a lot when I went there," he said. "I thought about it though, and I was like 'This is the offer I fought so hard to get. (Ohio State) is my dream school.'"
